defense cuts. i, for one look, we have the biggest defense spending, bigger than the next 13 countries defense spending put together. there's absolutely no reason except for the power of defense contractors why we have to have such a huge amount of defense spending in this country. >> eliot: we should have the defense cuts and then would not need to cut social security quite as much. >> absolutely. >> eliot: robert reich professor at u.c. berkeley. thank you for joining us. >> thanks, eliot. >> eliot: that's "viewpoint" for tonight. have a great [ ♪ theme ♪ ] >> bill: hey, hey, hello everybody. it is tuesday. >> >> bill: hey, everybody.

wednesday morning, december 19th. good to see you today. welcome to the "full-court press" here on current tv coming to you live from our nation's capitol with all of the big stories of the day all of the big news of the day on the fiscal cliff front and on the gun control front as well as what's happening in syria and other news around the current tree and around the globe. we will take your calls at 866-55-press. the president has made a big compromise, raising the tax cuts to the first $400,000 dropping the payroll tax holiday and, get this cutting social security benefits. wait a minute. i thought social security was not going to be on the table. he promised us that. has the president sold us down the river already? 0, man. lots to talk about. but first, we get the latest. today's current news update from lisa ferguson standing buy in los angeles early this morning. good morning lease a. >> good morning, bill. good

morning, everyone. a couple of more details on those fiscal cliff negotiations for you because house speaker boehner is changing gears yet again. as bill mentioned, the president laid out a new offer monday morning. it seemed the two were making some pretty good progress toward a compromise but yesterday boehner shifted to what he is calling plan b. the house speaker's new proposal does call for a tax increase but only on incomes topping $1 million a year. that knew idea not going over too well drawing criticism not only from senate democrats in the white house as to be expected but also from some house conservatives. utah conservative jason chafes says i hate it. and walking away before a compromise could have been reached. if we do not get a deal by the end of the year, think progress is reminding us of a few key expiring tax breaks that will impact middle class americans. >> the payroll tax cut will be

gone meaning a 2 percentage point hike in your taxes, one of the biggest hits to economic growth and less help for hire education because it will drop from $2,500 down to 1800. if you are getting debt forgiveness on your mortgage, you will now have to count that as taxable income an the child tax credit is getting cut in half which would be especially bad for lower income americans. more "bill press" is coming up after the break. live in our chat room. join us there at current.com/billpress. about "the heavy hand of government". i want to have that conversation. let's talk about it. really. really! that you're gonna lay people off because now the government's going to help you fund your health care. really? i wanna be able to have those conversations. not just to be confrontational, but to understand what the other side is saying. and you know, i'd like to arm our viewers with the ability to argue with their conservative uncle joe over the

dinner table.

[ ♪ theme ♪ ] >> announcer: broadcasting across the nation on your >> broadcasting across the nation, on your radio and on current tv this is "the bill

press show". >> social security was not supposed to be part of the deal. president obama has already compromised on social security. what's gone on? well, we are going to find out. what the do you say? hello, everybody. here here we go the full court press this wednesday morning december 19th. great to see you today. thanks for hopping on board the full court press bus as we head off from our nation's capitol all around the country today, every corner of this united states of america bringing you the news of the day. not only that, giving you a chance to sound off. we will put the microphone in your hands. you can tell us what these issues all mean to you. good to see you. thank you so much for joining united states. we are coming to you live from our nation's capitol. our studio right here on capitol hill. just down the street from the united states capitol building. we can see it from here, and they can hear us from there. and hear your voice as well.

give us a call at 866-55-press. join the conversation. we will have the first time callers, an army of operate orders standing by to take your calls. follow us on twitter at bp show at bp show or facebook.com/bill press show. we got the remnant, the holiday remnants. >> no remnants here peter chooses not to be here, that's on him. we are doing just fine. >> bill: peter chose his family over spending this holiday week with us. >> dan: some people are not dedicated to the cause >> bill: i can't understand his priorities. dan henning running the show. hello, dan with the help of phil backert and cyprian, the voiceless but effervescent cyprian boulding. >> we might make it a new year's resolution to allow him to

speak. >> he would just talk ball. >> that's all he knows. >> that's all he is good at bill good to have you all on board. and, boy, the former first lady, former senator, still secretary of state, former presidential candidate, hillary clinton may be ailing at home. fox news of course says she is faking her stomach illness >> dan: are they really? come on >> bill: faking her illness and faking her fainting and faking her concussion in order to have to avoid testifying on capitol hill. fox news is so bad. they have no shame whatsoever. but at any rate, the first lady, former first lady, hillary clinton got a big boost yesterday from none other than that nancy pelosi democratic leader in the house who says 2016 is all about hillary. >> won't that be exciting? i hope she goes. why wouldn't she? she could be president of the

united states and she would be great. if she decided to run, and i think she would win, she would go into the white house as well prepared or better prepared than almost anybody who has served in that office in a very long time. i won't include washington jefferson adams. gumaybe. but maybe. she would be great. >> bill: nancy pelosi getting a little bit ahead of herself there, i think. i personally have pledged i am not going to talk about 2016 until maybe the second half of 2015. so everybody keeps saying do you think hillary is going to run? i am not going to comment on 2016. i want to focus on the moment, sees the moment. let's make the most of 2012 and 2013

2013. we have a lot to cover here today with lots of help. eliot spitzer, our good friend from ""viewpoint"" will be along as he is every wednesday more than. peter welch in studio with us and lee saunders the president of afsme who will fight back after the right to work was signed into law guy governor rick snyder. good news on the gun control front yesterday. but first. >> this is the full court press. >> on this wednesday, other headlines making news, a big sigh of relief in the media community and the world. nbc news richard engal reserved yesterday after going missing in syria for five days. he and his production team and a turkish journalist were held captive by a proceed government militia loyal to president

masad. their lives were threatened several times. no ransom request. they got free at a rebel checkpoint when their captives were overcome. >> a great reporter, probably the best foreign reporter that we've got. >> sure. >> a war-time correspondent that we have. he is everywhere and seems to be fearless. he's been in syria before. it's the most dangerous country in the world today for journalists. i am so glad they got out safely. >> insta gramers, beware. they changed their service and caused a lot of people to shut down their accounts. the app says it can use your photos in any weigh it pleases, sharing with sites and by holding an account you will grant them an unlimited license to use your photos as of mid january >> bill: this is outrageous. outrageous that they would say,

so you are taking pictures of your wife and your kids and your family and you know whatever and you share them with friends. they could take their picture of your family and put it in an ad somewhere. >> that's outrageous. >> coming down to if a welcome back toing because facebook owns insta gram >> bill: talk about privacy violations if you haven't booked a trip to dc for inauguration, you might consider the presidential suite, a massage, a personal stylist, a bottle of the hotel's signature wine and a behind the scenes tire of the kennedy center and after 5 course meal at blue duck tavern. since it's the 5 seventh inauguration, they are offering the package for the low, low price of $57,000 >> bill: a night? >> no, for the four deals. it's a deal because there are a

couple of places in town that are doing 50,000 dollar a night deals. >> bill: the blue duck tavern is a great restaurant. i have friends in washington. we have friends in washington who are actually leaving town and renting their house. they are getting mucho because. >> i am sure. i am sure. >> bill: thought about doing that. >> get out of town for inauguration. >> they could walk to the inauguration. >> we could rent out the studio. >> bill: all right. yes indeed good news. we talked every day this week since the tragedy of sandy hook elementary school last friday, talking every day this week about the need to do something about gun control. and not just after sandy hook but sandy hook seems to be the tipping point after so many of the other mass cars because you saw these 6-year-old kids, angels taken away. let's talk about that. yesterday, expressing a little frustration over president obama not being very specific,

yesterday, later in the day, we got some good news on several fronts in this effort to respond to the gun violence in this country in an intelligent and across-the across-the-board way. let me tell you about a couple of things that happened. maybe you don't know. one of the big prior to equity firms, serberus said they were going to drop sell, get rid of the freedom group. the freedom group includes bushmaster, incorporated, whatever it is, the people who make the bushmast ter assault rifle. they got a call from the california teachers association which has a huge huge pension program, and they told them the california teachers pension group told them that they were going to drop their investment in serberus because of the freedom group. they said you don't have to abandoned us.

we are going to dump the freedom group. we are going to dump bushmaster. more -- if more firms did that, taking the rug out from under these gun manufactures, that would be one way to get at this problem. the other thing is at the whitehouse, i was at the briefing yesterday. big differences from tuesday to monday. monday, jay carney, you heard me complain about it yesterday which was vague and fuzzy and mushy and full of generalities. yesterday, he got down to telling us some -- first of all he said the president would definitely support legislation in this area. he didn't do so in his first four years. no family at any gun control legislation legislation. so that was a big threshold and they said here is the kind of legislation we would support. >> first, he is actively supportive of, for example, senate feinstein's stated intent to refvise a piece of legislation that would reinstate the assault weapons ban. >> assault weapons ban, number

1, the president is behind. no. 2, common sense solution: >> he supports and would support legislation that addresses the problem of the so-called gun-show loophole and there are other elements of gun legislation that he could support. >> bill: right. so that's number 2. the gun show loophole 40% of guns today sold at gun shows. no background checks. we want to fix that. and distillsly, it's not just the guns. it's the ammunition. jay carney. >> people talk about high-capacity ammunition clips, for example, and that is something certainly that he would be interested in looking at. >> bill: right. and so there you got the president on board for those. not alone and the president and jay carney have said, of course they recognize that we also have to look at school safety and look at other issues including school safety including what we are doing about the mental

health, including video gramsames also. we want to get into that the next couple of days on the "full-court press." the third big news is there is more and more information coming out. it started. it has at least -- it was at least helped by having john yarmouth from the south, from kentucky, has always been critical of the nra, long before he became a member of congress. he is he has an f rating from the nra. as he told us yesterday and more and more people recognize this. one of the reasons you see so many republicans and democrats, they may not be willing to stand up to grover norquist but they are willing to stand up to the nra and the reason they are is because they recognize two things about the nra now, which hadn't really come to light before. number 1 is, it's no longer what we used to thing of it as just a nice grass roots organization where people who like to go hunting with their kids, you

know, maybe collect some guns. just law-abiding gun owners johnny six-shooter representing them. no. no. the nra is a big gun manufacturer's lobby. they have become really the front for the gun manufacturers of the country, those who are manufacturing the guns that are killing our kids. there is a recent study out that showed since 2005, the nra got $53 million from its corporate partners 74% of those corporate partners either manufacturers of ammunition or assault weapons. so we see who they really represent. second thing about the nra people are recognizing is that politically, they are nothing to be afraid of. they are like a paper tiger. they spent $13 million this year trying to defeat president obama. they lost. they were active. they spent over $100,000 in

seven u.s. senate races. they lost six out of seven. and two-thirds of house incumbents -- listen to them -- who lost their seats this year were actually endorsed by the nra. the nra's endorsement or opposition has become essentially politically meaningless. so people don't have to be afraid of them. i think this thing is really turning around. don't you? 866-55-press. let's expose the nra. one final thing. there is something else going on here now. and people have made the connection back to the mothers against drunk driving. cindy lighthold, i believe her name was, when her daughter was killed and she organized other mothers who had lost their kids and said, we have to do something about this fact that people can go into a bar, have a drink, get souced and get behind the wheel. they changed this country. the people who have lost their kids at aurora colorado and newtown connecticut. yesterday we heard from sandy

phillips here with the brady hill campaign on capitol hill lost other daughter in the theater shooting in aurora. >> congress, the senate and our president now have an opportunity to be a hero as well and stop the blood shed. >> bill: whether they call themselves mothers against assault weapons or mothers against gun violence or whatever, i think this is going to change the debate. good news yesterday on the gun front and, we are finally, exposing the nra for what it is. 866-55-press. let's talk about it. does this end the stranglehold that the nra has had on so many spineless politicians, democrats and republicans? you tell me. >> this is the"the full court press: the bill press show," live on your radio and on current tv. [ music ]

>> that's hilarious! >> ...and the thinkers thinking. >> okay, so there's wiggle-room in the ten commandments is what you're telling me. >> she's joy behar. ... and current will let me say anything. >> only on current tv.

alright, in 15 minutes we're going to do the young turks. i think the number one thing that viewers like about the young turks is that we're honest. they know that i'm not bs'ing them with some hidden agenda, actually supporting one party or the other. when the democrats are wrong, they know that i'm going to be the first one to call them out. they can question whether i'm right, but i think that the audience gets that this guy, to the best of his ability, is trying to look out for us.

>> announcer: heard around the country and seen on current tv >> on your radio and on current tv, this is the bill press show >> bill: here we go 25 minutes after the hour on this wednesday morning, december 19th. what does that mean? five shopping days left until christmas? we got lost in the holiday spirit this week talking so much about sandy hook elementary school and about the fiscal cliff. yesterday, on the gun control, what's going to happen will sandy hook and newtown connecticut be any different? will we actually do something this time rather than just talk

about it. starting to look like it is more and more voices standing out saying this gun violence is not just the guns but a big part of it, of course, is the guns that we have and we have to start there if we are going to do anything about the senseless slaughter so many people with guns in this country every year. we have to start with curbing access to these guns. yesterday, on several fronts, indications that maybe we are going to be serious this time. here is john. john's calling from cummings georgia. hey, john. good morning. >> caller: good morning, to you, sir. >> bill: all right. good. what's your thoughts about this? >> caller: my feeling is, first of all, my heart goes out to all of the victims. i am a gun owner. i been stancial guns. real simple, iina salt weapons. the thing about it is this is america. we need to come together determine where the problem is. where you and i disagree. you blame it on the guns. i believe people need to be responsible for their actions. as a gun owner i having gone

out, don't have any desire to go out and the reason i listen to a liberal show today is because, i hate to say it but you guys are probably make more sense than a lot of people on the far right. and at the same time, we have to focus on pulling together. and we have got to come together on our common ground. and we have to -- the common ground is what is best for the children. what is best for the future. >> bill: john, i agree. i think the common ground has to be some common sense measures. i am not saying you disagree with this but, you know, why should people be able to buy a gun at a gun show at and not have a background check there. >> back in the old days, when gun shows were wild. i will be honest with you. i totally agree with you on that. i don't think -- i don't want to see anybody buy a gun without a background check. >> bill: good for you. good for you. by the way, john, i think you

represent most gun owners in this country. and the problem is -- i hate to cut you off but we are out of time. we will take some more calls after the half-hour break. the problem is that the nra john, is not representing you today so much as it is representing the gun manufacturers who don't want any limits whatsoever. the nra officially opposes background checks at gun shows, and that's wrong. >> this is "the bill press show." fleischer basically a conspiracy leaving >> bill: well, you know, that was a david stockman theory, exciting issue. from financial regulation, iran getting a nuclear bomb, civil war in syria, fraud on wall street, destruction of medicare and medicaid. there are real issues here. having been a governor, i know that trade-offs are tough. things everyday exploding around the world that leave no shortage for exciting conversations. i want our viewer to understand why things have happened. at the end of the show, you know what has happened, why its

happened and more importantly, what's going to happen tomorrow.

[ music ] >> chatting with you live at current.com/billpress. this is "the bill press show," live on your radio and current tv. >> bill: you got it.

thirty-three minutes after the hour now, happy wednesday, wednesday, december 19th, the full court press believe from our nation's capitol brought to you today by the laborers international union of north america, the goodmen and women of the laborers' union under president terri o'sullivan they made news yesterday in new jersey by endorsing governor chris christie for reelection. how about that? >> wow. >> don't even know who the democratic. who says labor unions only support democrats. at any rate the labors union, find out more at liuna.org, liuna.org. changing trends. good news. looks like the tide is turning on the gun-control room front today after major news out of the white house, out of wall street and across the board

about the nra. your calls at 866 t welcome. here is something you might want to consider here if you are one of those families who is not having a hard time making ends meet at the end of each month. incomeathome.com. they are america's leading work-from-home business, doing business today in over 80 countries. so they know what they are doing. and this is something you can do easily, no matter your age education, experience, you can litted really earn money on your own computer from your own kitchen table 24/7 but not unless you check it out. if you are sick of living paycheck to paycheck worried about job security or retirement. if your goal has always been to earn extra money from home part-time or full-time income at home.com. check them out. give them a call or give them a look, rather online at incomeathome.com. they are even giving away a thousand bucks to somebody just for checking them out. visit incomeathome.com.

>> that's incomeathome.com. daniel gross was on the hill telling members of congress. their main thrust is on the background check. we just talked to john down in cummings, georgia, about that that's what they say is the number 1 thing we can do. he says this is a problem we can solve together. >> we have a mission in america that's known as the nation that solves this terrible gun violence epidemic once and for all. we can do this we are do this. yes, we can. politico is announcing that the president will announce a gun task force to look into this issue and to make recommendations. i don't know how much -- you know, i don't think we need another task force frankly, but if he gives them maybe three

months, six months at the most to come back what i would like to see if he does that it would be a commission where like the 9-11 commission, where congress would have to vote on their recommendations. the nra has said tomorrow friday. they are going to wait until friday and they say they are going to announce what concessions they might be willing to make actions, if any, by the way. notice they waited until the friday before christmas to make this announcements. don't expect too much from them. andy from wilmington action delaware delaware. when i here somebody bring up the assault weapons ban t drives me nuts. >> because? >> i will tell you why.

the last assault weapons band did not ban one single assault weapon. it defined the assault weapon in such a way if you changed a couple of parts, it's no longer an assault weapon but it is still a weapon that will fire as many rounds as you can shoot by pulling the trigger of one single shot for each trigger pull and you can take two 14 round clips, tape them together like they do in the military and it's complete bs, bill until they address what an assault weapon really is. >> bill: andy listen. i don't disagree with you on that. but that just proves the law was really very poorly written, very poorly designed and the gun manufacturers were smarter than the politicians. surprise. surprise. and they immediately changed the their products. right? so that they could get around the law. dianne feinstein. i trust her. is he has been working for the last year, not to just come up

with the same old assault weapons ban but a tougher piece of legislation that would make that impossible or more difficult. >> can i say this? >> bill: go ahead. >> caller: the politicians knew when they passed it that this was just feel-good legislation, that the nra was so powerful at the time -- still in the '90s, that they knew that this gun, they already had the solution for it. how do you define a gun that can shoot as many bullets as you can pull the trigger, which is like a gloc handgun or a barrett a. they are all the same. >> that's -- >> bill: andy, listen. i can't write the legislation because i don't know enough about it. but i know these guns do not belong in circulation. period. the military and law enforcement, okay. there has got to be a way to stop their sale and stop their manufacture here in the united states. there has to be a way. we just have to find it and do

it. all right? >> billions of them out there right now >> bill: i don't think there are billions. there are 250 million guns in circulation in this country. that, by the way, is a real problem because no matter what law we pass unless we have some massive turn-in of guns and these laws are not going to be retroactive. they are still going to be millions and millions and millions of guns in circulation. larry calling from orlando, florida. hi, larry. >> bill, that's exactly the problem you just mentioned, what andy just commented on and that is there is -- there are all of these guns that are already in circulation. >> bill: yeah. >> in this country, we must do what australia did, and that's why what andy's point is right on point about we already have some legislation. there are so many technical issues. the feinstein bill, even though she may tighten it up is not going to make much difference

>> bill: i don't know how you can say that. first of all, none of us have seen the legislation. none of us know what's in the bill. i think we have to take a look at it before we say it's worthiless. >> caller: i am not saying it's worthless. what i am saying is that it's not going to have an impact on the guns that are will be out there. >> bill: that's true. she said that. it won't be retroactive. so then, you have to do something else, larry, which maybe is, you know, some of these massive turn in your guns, no questions asked or even buy them back. they have done that in new york. 750 guns were turned in, in san francisco on monday. >> i believe buy back is the way to go. the way they did it in australian >> bill: what did they do in australian? >> after a mavin shooting in the 1990s where one individual killed 35 australian did, the australian government says we are not going to become another america and they prohibited all of these guns. and they bought them back. >> bill: bought them back. yeah. i think a buy-back program

certainly should be part of this. at least the opportunity. right? for people to -- not to be considered criminals because they own guns because they are not. right? they own them legally but if they want to get rid of them yeah, and make it worth their while to get rid of them. >> caller: bill, if i may make one more point. >> bill: sure. >> caller: the gun that caused the massive killing in connecticut, which connecticut has one of the toughest gun laws in the country. listen, that gun was legally purchased. that gun which caused such massive devastation wasn't an assault weapons >> bill: first of all, there is no assault weapons ban. it expired in 2004. remember? so those guns, all of them can be purchased anywhere in the country legally in any state except maybe california legally. >> that's the problem. and that's why we've got to act. the idea that this woman was

able to -- she was a gun collector? right? the guns that she had were you know, she would semi oughtics, all of these high-capacity clips, all of this ammunition. this psychotic kid didn't have to go out to a gun store or gun show and buy it. he didn't have to go buy the ammunition. his mother had it in her house. i mean this survivalist had all of these rounds of ammunition. what the freak was going on there? tom calling from boston, massachusetts. >> good morning. >> your two previous callsers were right on. i am an nra member. i am a gun owner. i, in fact own an assault weapon and what senator -- basically what senate feinstein is proposing is that people whoina salt weapons now, they can't sell them. they can't hand them down to their kids. >> that's essentially it. so what will happen >> bill: how do you know that? >> caller: because i read on the "boston globe" web page about what she basically was

proposing. no. i haven't read the bill but it summed it down in a nutshell and by the way the "boston globe" is a progressive newspapers >> bill: "boston globe" is a great newspaper. i have not seen any point by point analysis of what is in senator feinstein's bill. i don't think she has released it. i will check out the "boston globe" story, john. but go ahead. go ahead. yeah. >> unless we have what the previous caller said were people are forced to turn in these assault weapons, they will still be in circulation. so what happened last friday could very well happen again two, three, four, 10 years down the line. >> bill: this is an insane argument. what you are saying, the president spoke about this sunday night. because it's so complicated, we can't do anything. i say that's bs. i mean that is total bs. all of these are duces for doing nothing. these are the same excuses we have heard from the nra and from gun owners and from the

spineless politicians forever. it's time to just throw that argument out the freaking window. i appreciate your call, but you are just dead-ass wrong. >> this is "the bill press show." now let's hear yours. >> politically direct means no bs, just tellling you what's going on in politics today. (vo) at the only online forum with a direct line to bill press. current.com/billpress

[ music ] >> this is the bill press show. >> >> bill: twelve minutes before the top of the hour. congress woman barbara lee joining us in the next hour of the "full-court press," this wednesday morning, december 19th. well, i think some people are calling us the book ends around current tv. i guess the first crack at the

news -- i get the first crack at the news of the day and let you know kind of what's starting to break and then eliot spitzer wraps it up to tell you what's happened in the news of the day on viewpoint at 8:00 p.m. here on current tv and on wednesday morning, the book ends get together. hey, eliot. how are you? >> glad to be a book end with you. it is a little early. >> bill: two big stories you and i both have been talking about, the whole discussion about moving forward on some comments on gun control after sandy hook elementary school and also about the latest on the fiscal cliff. let's start with the guns. there was some movement yesterday, eliot. i was there at the briefing room in the white house. for the first time, jay carney saying there are three specific things, including the assault weapons ban the president would endorse. >> this is good. this has been a third-rail for democratic elected, in particular, who are afraid of losing those swing voters. some of us who have been saying you have life on the line here

and tragedy after tragedy. we are happy to see, you know, the president is embracing this in words that were moving up at sandy hook at the vigil now are beginning to show themselves policy changes. will it make its way through the legislative process? and will it matter? the moredrant dramatic things that could be done, an outright ban on more and more of this weapon rein my view is not protected by the second amendment. bullet control. you can't go in there and by magazines with 100 bullets. there is a lot of stuff. australia, after its massacre a bunch of years ago put in real serious gun control. the number of massacres, mass killings has dropped almost to zero. >> they had a buyback program? >> that's right. >> which i think makes a lot of sense. >> if everybody says 300 million guns, you can't get them off of the street. you can get a lot off of the street. do we dedicate ouingsz the way

we need to >> bill: at least you are not putting millions more on the street. so the politico reporting this morning, the question that the president today will name am gun task force to come up with recommendations. is this a typical response, you create another commission. >> i am leery of commissions. they serve their purpose. when you are in an executive position, you say we can't come up with all of the answers in 48 hours. you create an entity. sometimes it is to defer and kick the can down the road. if you set a short timeframe, put on the commission people who already are experts, you say to them, you are not starting from ground zero to recreate the wheel. give me in two weeks the best ideas, then it's okay. >> bill: i agree with you. a short time frame. the 9-11 commission was great because then congress had to act

or vote on their recommendations. there is a lot of unhappy democrats or nervous democrats on the hill on the fiscal cliff % because the president has always says he has his plan but he is not locked in. it's willing to compromise. but his first compromise puts social security on the table when he had always said social security was never going to be on the table. what's going on? >> i don't get it. honestly of all of the things that shouldn't be on the table because it doesn't contribute to the deficit. that's why the logical nexus there mistfies me. so everybody agrees social security isn't where the deficit is coming from. if he said here are some serious ideas about healthcare reform it would have been going to the long-term problem. the other thing that is problematic and there is a great article in "the new york times" that everybody should read. he makes the point it doesn't matter whether you take the president's proposal or john boehner's proposal. we are creating a government that will become precisely what

ezra klein came up with insurance company-nomics nothing more than discretionary spending cut to the smallest percentage of gdp by a huge margin, everything from pel grants, funding for n.i.h. all of the sorts of things that the government does that matter are disappearing. >> bill: do you think raising the point where you don't pay any taxes on income up to $400,000 is something progressive liberals democrats can support? >> i think that is sort of the natural give and take of a compromise. i think 250 was where the president should have tried to stick the line. the question is: does it go to 600, i can't 00, a million, but 400, that's a compromise position and putting social security there when it didn't need to be is what mistfies people and as porter says when you begin with an unwillingness

to raise taxes in a fundamental way which is where government on both sides really is and unwillingness to do entitlement cuts, which is a serious position, then you are left with no place to cut over the long-haul but the so-called discretionary spending is a lot of the stuff that government does so we are i ammplicitly changing the nature of our government without a serious conversation >> bill: what makes me nervous and i am sure you et i don't want this is the begin of -- elliott, god knows how much more we are going to lose or get away before we get to the end. with that, we will wait and see how it wraps up today and how you wrap it up on viewpoint 8:00 p.m. this evening. thanks so. >> always a pleasure bill >> bill: viewpoint, great show eliot spiritser, the hospital. >> this is the bill press show

but when joint pain and stiffness from psoriatic arthritis hit even the smallest things became difficult. i finally understood what serious joint pain is like. i talked to my rheumatologist and he prescribed enbrel. enbrel can help relieve pain, stiffness, and stop joint damage. because enbrel, etanercept suppresses your immune system, it may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal events including infections tuberculosis

lymphoma, other cancers, and nervous system and blood disorders have occurred. before starting enbrel your doctor should test you for tuberculosis and discuss whether you've been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. tell your doctor if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores have had hepatitis b have been treated for heart failure, or if, while on enbrel, you experience persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness. [ phil ] get back to the things that matter most. ask your rheumatologist if enbrel is right for you. [ doctor ] enbrel, the number one biologic medicine prescribed by rheumatologists. i think the number one thing that viewers like about the young turks is that we're honest. they can question whether i'm right, but i think that the audience gets that this guy, to the best of his ability, is trying to look out for us. [ music ]

>> taking your e-mails on any topic at any time, this is "the bill press show" live on your radio and current tv. >> bill: yeah, and thanks to one of our viewers who e-mailed us in australia, several callers have mentioned it, eliot spitzer just mentioned it, it was the port author massacre. we were wondering about a new term for the nra. sam suggests it stands for non-responsible armaments. not bad patrick moscaro says on the gun issue, i am 70 years

old, grew up with guns around me. as the years went by i sold everything, quit shooting and haven't hunted in a very long time. why? because of the gun culture. this is a way to fight the gun culture. get rid of those guns. and bruce dedmon says we are doing a disservices when we talk about america as the wild west because even in the wild west, no matter how rough it was, nobody ever wiped out a schoolroom. >> this is "the bill press show." fleischer

>> good to see you today. welcome to the "full-court press" here on current tv your progressive morning show coming to you live from our nation's capitol booming out to you on every corner of this great land of ours. good to see you this morning. we look forward to hearing from you at 866-55-press. and the official report investigation on benghazi is now complete. the report is out. it blames the state garment for what it calls systemic failures across the board on security in libya, not recognizing and realizing how dangerous the country was and not providing enough security for our embassy in tripoli and the consulate in benghazi. they blame the state department. they do not blame susan rice. all right. tha maybe that will close that story once and for all. we will talk about it, take your calls. first, we get the latest todd's news update, lisa ferguson standing buy in los angeles.

hey, lisa. good morning. >> hey, bill. good morning, everyone. let me give you a few more details on that report. it is very critical of the state department. an accountability board spearheaded that investigation. according to those results just made public last night, the department did not use enough seasoned security personnel. instead relying too much on untested local militias. the report also blames officials in washington saying they ignored security requests from the u.s. embassy in tripoli and they failed to make adequate security upgrades. the accountability department has 29 new recommendations for improvement and secretary of state hillary clinton says shellac september all of them. she is asking congress to shift $13,000,000,000 out of iraq contingency fund using the money, instead, to improve security at u.s. embassies around the world. with president obama set to announce his new cabinet picks as soon as friday, former

senator chuck hagel is getting some renewed criticism, the frontrunner of as obama's secretary of defense. jewish leaders say he does not have a strong enough commitment to israel. while in the senate, he was skeptical about u.s. sanctions against iran and he opposed efforts to go after hamas. as for other cabinet picks, we are learning the white house has approached american express ceo kenneth chenault. possible picks include treasury secretary, commerce secretary or senior advisor to the president. more "bill press" up next. stay with us. about "the heavy hand of government". i want to have that conversation. let's talk about it. really. really! that you're gonna lay people off because now the government's going to help you fund your health care. really? i wanna be able to have those conversations. not just to be confrontational, but to understand what the other side is saying. and you know, i'd like to arm our viewers with the ability to argue with their conservative uncle joe over the

dinner table.

[ music ] broadcasting across the nation, on your radio and on current tv this is "the bill press show." >> we remember told social

security was off the table. but suddenly president obama put it on the table. what the hell is going on? a lot of democrats asking that this morning. good morning everybody. this wednesday morning december 19th, how about it? great to see you today. welcome to the "full-court press" coming to you live across this great land of ours on your local progressive talk radio station, lucky for you if you got one and on current tv. we will tell you what's happening this morning on the gun control front and on the fiscal cliff front particularly and on some other issues and give you a chance to sound off about it at 866-55-press. >> that's our toll-free number. we want to overhear from you and give you an express to check -- a chance chance to express your view points and we would like to hear from you on transiter twitter and a big chat room from all

over the country. all kind of issues while we are debating them on radio and television. you can join the chat room. you don't have to pay. you don't have to show your id. just go to current.com. follow the click, and you are in. here in studio in washington, d.c., our nation's capitol, team press, peter ogburn missing in action. dan henning flying the 747 >> dan: good morning >> bill: you don't get a day off? just work all the way through office >> dan: yeah. every day >> bill: next week may be a different story. phil bachus got the phones and we say an army of operators standing by to take your calls but it's phil bachus and cyprian boulding has the cameras, the video side. >> dan: from browsing our facebook page at

facebook.com/billpressshow, nice little photograph. >> our good friends at weact radio, here in washington, d.c., our progressive talk station in washington, god bless them 14:80 a.m. was over there last night. yesterday was their first anniversary. they have been on the air for a whole year now. >> dan: awesome. >> bill: we are the morning show on weact radio. proud to be there mark was there and there were two outstanding wonderful guests, favorites of ours john conyers. he has been in thetude yes with us many times and congressman barney frank retiring unfortunately, congressman, soon to be former congressman barney

frank from massachusetts they came and spoke. we got a photo on our facebook page. >> at facebook.com. >> we tweeted it at bpshow with me and mark levine and barney frank and david shuster. check that out this morning. richard engel was partying in turkey because he was freed after five harrowing days of captivity, the best foreign correspondent on the planet working for nbc, just incredible. does great, great reporting, fearless and shows up everywhere. he was in syria. let him tell what happened to him and his team. >> we were driving in syria about five days ago we were with

some of the rebels. as we were moving down the road a group of gunman just jumped out of the trees and bushes. there were probably 15 gunmen wearing ski masks, heavily harmed. they dragged us out of the car. they put us in the container truck. >> can you imagine? really, really scary. he said there was no physical torture but psychological torture for sure. you wouldn't get me in a situation like that >> dan: i am telling you man >> bill: the closest i ever

came when i was covering war in croatia and the army undermel melosovich decided today bomb without warnings. when the first bombs started to fall, i got the hell out there as fast as i could. >> i am sure. >> bill: i did a stand-up i did a stand-up just to show that i was there. we have two great members of congress. barbara lee is going to join us later in the hour and congressman pete welch from vermont and lee saunders the head of asme the largest public and health workers union will be in studio with us as well the

latest compromise by president obama which includes cuts in social security benefits. fobs this is the full court press. >> wen act or ben after flection. how about senator ben affleck. cbs is reporting his name being floated around the actor is in d.c. today speakinging to the house armed services committee on security issues in the congo. he did actively campaign for elizabeth warren in her senate campaign. some people want to see him take the senate >> bill: i like it but we have ed markey devalue patrick. we have march tee mian patrick.

we have march tee mian. we have tons of experienced leaders in massachusetts. we don't need an actedor. >> he could take the seat in the temporary position until they have a special election. >> no. >> a group of news outlets are questioning bills sent to them by romney's presidential campaign. buzzfeed reports that nine media organizations are complaining about what they are calling exorbitant charges billed to them including $800 for a meal they say these charges far exceed anything in history they are demanding a breakdown because they don't know the details of what the charges are about. buzzfeed, "washington post," "l.a. times" "new york times," "u.s.a. today" friends filing

complaints. >> romney has to pay off debts somehow and somebody has to pay for that car elevator. >> touching. n.f.l. players have gotten into the spirit of honoring sandy hook victims. several wrote the names of their shoes. victor cruz wrote wrote jack pinto's name on his cleats and plans to give those to the family and more expected to do the same saying they want to ensure that these victims are never forgotten >> bill: wonderful and touching tribute. >> bill: what the hell is going on? we support president obama. we worked our asses off to get him re-elected. we are glad he got reeat elected. it looks like he has let us down. god. say it ain't so about but this

compromise that the president greed to let's explain what happened. you know, the president's position was you get a tax cut up to $250,000 of your income, you go back to the old clinton tax cuts on anything over 250,000. we are going to continue to pay payroll tax cut holiday. we are going to continue unemployment insurance. >> that's got to be part of the deal. the debt ceiling raising the debt ceiling which will have to be done is part of the president's position. the republicans would not budge at all and the president said no social security. don't touch it. it ain't on the table. not contributing to the deficit. therefore, not part of any

solution or any compromise. republicans won't budge. so then, the president compromises. he comes up with his own plan and the president says i will up it from 250 to 40 ol',000. the first 400,000 you get, you get a free ride. now, a that in itself was bad enough. because instead of higher taxes for the top two %, it will only be higher tax rate now for the top 1%. so that means you are not going to get as much revenue. that revenue is going to have to be made up somewhere, and, you know, it's going to come from domestic programs, discretionary spending. it's going to come from medicare. it'sgol going to come from medicaid. it's going to come from child care. it's going to come from pel

grants. it's going to come from programs that the middle class depend on. >> that's number 1. but the really scary thing is the president also said i will -- he would accept -- he put it out there -- for calculating social security benefits, what is called -- this is wonky, i know -- the chained cpi. the consumer price index. obviously you can't have any of these programs earned benefits line social security stay locked in every year at the same rate. they have to adjust with inflation, the cost of living index. there are two ways so they go up a little bit each year depending upon what the cpi is. the changed cpi or the unchained cpi the difference -- the difference is really serious and

dramatic. the changed cpi will cut billions of dollars out of social security benefits over the next 10 years. social security benefits will be cut. suddenly social security is on the table and all the democrats' pledges and the president's pledges not to touch social security and never, never, never, never to cut social security benefits suddenly president obama has done it. why? let me tell you. people are really unhappy with this. january jan shakowsi, our good friends, the lookoutest and best progressive voices in the congress. congressman keith elston from min associated a, one of the first ones to deny ounce this. jan shawski telling politico this should be off the table. senator sherrod brown telling politico, this proposal the

changed cpi, is terrible. raoul grialva, co-chair of the progressive caucus says any talk of shrinking the program to save money is flawed from the start because social security is not part of the national budget in the same way as military spending. charlie rangel from new york said, a move toward a chained consumer price index will be a long-term benefit cut for every single person who receives a social security check. congressman peter welch from vermont who will be with us in studio in the next hour saying that this is unacceptable to democrats and the question is: why would the president do this? after -- why would he pull the rug out from under democrats who following his lead have said, no way are we going to touch social security. now, the very first compromise, the very first compromise, what

happened? social security is back on the table and benefits are cut. outrageous, a sellout. i think the president has one more time, you know, stabbed us in the back. and what i am worried is: what's next? this is just the begin of the negotiation. we could up from 400 to 800,000 before we know it and have further cuts to social security and medicare all in the name of compromise? forget it. didn't we agree, a bad deal is better than -- i mean, no deal rather, no deal is better than a bad deal. 866-55-press. tell me you share my outrage. >> this is the full court press. "the bill press show," live on your radio and on current tv. i think the number one thing that viewers like about the young turks is that we're honest. they can question whether i'm right, but i think that the audience gets that this guy, to the best of

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let's rock and roll. there is so much going on that every day presents another exciting issue. from financial regulation, iran getting a nuclear bomb, civil war in syria, fraud on wall street, destruction of medicare and medicaid. there are real issues here. having been a governor, i know that trade-offs are tough. things everyday exploding around the world that leave no shortage for exciting conversations. i want our viewer to understand why things have happened. at the end of the show, you know what has happened, why its happened and more importantly, what's going to happen tomorrow. [ ♪ theme ♪ ]

[ music ] >> the fact is he is willing to compromise and have rates go on up on those making 400,000 above as opposed to those making 250,000 above gone straight his good-faith effort here to reach a compromise. >> this is "the bill press show." >> bill: that was jay carney at our briefing yesterday. defending the president's giving up on social security and moving up from 250 to 400,000. look, i could accept the 400,000 >> but social security jay carney saying this is proof the president is willing to compromise. he gave away the public plan option. my problem is he is willing to compromise too much too early.

on twitter but dw 1776 says i don't share your outrage. can we wait until there is xrems. don't share your outrage. no one knows what is in this. take a chill pill. sophia from meal, florida. good morning. hello. hello. hello. anybody there? all right. we will go to -- right here in our nation's capitol bruce. >> hello happy holidays >> bill: it looks like we are getting a mitt romney philosophy in place now. what's next? medicare? >> bill: that's what i am afraid of. what could be next unemployment

insurance benefits. right? >> still in there. why do you think? >> he is afraid of john boehner and he doesn't know how to confront mcconnellism. we are going to hear the same problem, this talk about gun control and they will cave again. >> bill: god, i don't want to believe that. this is the opening we knowdge. boehner doesn't have any leverage. he lost the election. it's more important for the president to stick to his guns. we talked about this before. remember, i went to the holiday party and told them our listeners and viewers say, hold the line. he hasn't held the line. squeeze joey from chicago in here >> caller: here we go. this guy has never stood up for us. i don't know why they say don't worry. this guy never stood up for us once in the past four years. he is a joke.

i can't believe it. my mom is on social security. she can't afford $5 taken from her. she needs every bit of that. people who make 250,000, 40 ol',000 can every day $10. >> bill: joe e you are absolute right. there are millions of americans on social security. every one of them will see their benefits cut under this deal the president is proposing. no way. >> this is "the bill press show." [ music ] like verse mortgage commercials? those types are coming on to me all the time now. >> she gets the comedians laughing... >> that's hilarious! >> ...and the thinkers thinking. >> okay, so there's wiggle-room in the ten commandments is what you're telling me. >> you would rather deal with ahmadinejad then me. >> absolutely! >> and so would mitt romeny. >> she's joy behar. >> and the best part is that current will let me say anything. what the hell were they thinking?

>> only on current tv.

smu >> on your radio and on current t.v. this is "the bill press show." >> you've got it. 33 minutes after the hour already. here we go on this wednesday

more than, december 19th. it is the full court press coming to you life all the way across this great land of ours coast to coast all the way from oakland, california, to washington, d.c. brought to you today by the international association of iron workers goodmen and women of the iron workers under president walter wise. the sky is the limit for them. you bet. you can find out more about their important work and their great work at iron workers.org. oakland to washington, d.c. >> that's the territory covered by our good friend congress woman barbara lee joining us on our news line this morning. hey, congress woman. always good to talk with you. >> hi, bill. good to talk to you >> bill: i want to ask you about the latest on the fiscal cliff, but first a lot of focus, of course, everywhere in this lan on what we are going to do after this horrific massacre at sandy hook elementary school up in newtown, connecticut, on friday. that brought the nation's attention, but, you know, every

day in the streets of oakland and other cities of this country, you know that better than anyone congresswoman. do you think this is finally, going to get action on gun control? >> you know, bill let's hope so. i am a grandmother and a mother. it's hard to express how just personally i feel because when you have those kind of loss of life of such innocent children that did not have to happen, you know one has to really search deeply. and feel deeply and really try to come to grips with it on a personal level and, you know let me say my thoughts and prayers are with the families, you know, in connecticut. i come with, in many ways, the war zone >> bill: yeah. >> i have been to funerals of

young people under five years of age this year. it's so sad again, my immediate response is that of a mother and a grandmother and these young people in oakland are gunned down. these assault weapons, these weapons with, you know 30 rounds, they don't belong on the streets. these are weapons of war that senator feinstein has said and they should be banned really. let's hope now that folks wake up and there is a wake-up call. this has nothing to do with the second amendment. we know that. >> bill: california has moved. it's time for the rest of the nation maybe to not -- not maybe -- to follow the lead. right? >> we should but we have more work to do in california because there are still illegal guns huge weapons of mass destruction >> bill: it's comforting to see

so many republicans and democrats who used to be always a sure vote for the nra stand up and say, hey, this time, you know, this is gone too far. >> i hope we can come together. let's hope this sticks >> bill: yeah. >> let's hope next week the attention span turns -- let's hope it does not turn to something else. >> bill: so we have to deal with this fiscal cliff and the president has said congresswoman, he has his plan and he thinks this is the best plan. but, you know, he is willing to hear some other ideas and to compromise but he has always said, social security is not on the table. we are not going to touch it. yesterday, he said all right. we will accept some changes to how you calculate social security benefits and adopted this chained cpi. why? and is that something you could support? >> it's not something i could support.

and i think along with at fl and caucus members have said no to that. that doesn't make sense. we have communicated any cuts in benefits so corbel security, medicare medicaid are totally unacceptable. this will not be acceptable. i hope that they go back to the drawing board and figure this out. there are other ways you cut but not on the backs of the most vul vulner vulnerable, disabled, the poor, and i think you are going to see a lot of members. you do see a lot of members standing firm against that. >> but i was surprised to see leader pelosi trying to round up support. in fact, i saw orb good friend congressman john conyers at an event. he said the leader was twisting arms saying we have to get behind this. this is a tough pill for democrats to intel 0, congresswoman. isn't it? >> i am not so sure she hasn't

twisted my arm. i think most don't believe the cuts to the most vulnerable especially our senior citizens are acceptable. we will see. the negotiations are very tough. let's hope we get there soon but it's going to be tough. and i think that the people have spoken during the e elections. and we cannot back off of where the majority of people in this country are who voted for the president. and recognizing this is a very tough negotiation for the president. you have speaker boehner and republicans who are dug in on what is it now? those who make over a million dollars? anyone who makes 700, 800, 900. >> that's a big joke. it's a sharcharade, a gimmick it's a million dollar if you are

making $950,000, then you get, you know, excuse me, you get a tax break. >> bill: just to be clear, at least from your point of view and your vote if cuts to social security are included in this deal you are a no vote? >> i will not vote for anything that has these kind of cuts. we have said we are not going to do this on the backs of the most vulnerable, our senior citizens. i hope they don't bring that to the floor there are other things we have to look at. look at the unemployment question. >> that's going to end. >> i'm worried that the next thing that might get thrown away, you know, yesterday, the president also said the payroll tax cut holiday? right? where we will end that. right? and now unemployment is still part of the deal. but if we lose that. >> we have over 2 million people who are going to lose their unemployment at the end of --

december 29th. so people who are unemployed the most vulnerable seniors, the sdainldz, why in the world do we continue to negotiate those provisions that affect the most vulnerable. oil subsidies, pentagon spending, there are many, many ways we can go. >> bill: you are in good company. as you know, your co-chair congressman raul grialva, sherrod brown are all out this morning. peter welch will join us in the next hour saying they could not support cuts to social security either. congresswoman, we lose track of afghanistan. this is something that you have kept the focus on. we are still there. when are we going to get out? are we going to get out fast enough? >> i have to say we need to get outside as quickly and safely and as orderly as impossible which does not mean 2014.

actually, i sent a letter >> bill: before then? right? >> definitely before then. yeah. we don't need to wait until then. we need an expedited withdrawal. a letter about 80 members, democrats and republicans, asking the president to i am going to put forth the lee amendment which attempts to cut the funding for the war, except for a safe and orderly withdraw and, of course, protection of our troops and contract orders but enough is enough we will have spent up to a trillion dollars. it's too much in terms of our national treasury we begin to begin nation building here at home recognizing we need to help with regional stability and protection of women. >> are you worried if we pull out, it will be chaos, the karzai government isn't capable of implementing a plan.

>> let's shop the security sforsz are trained. it's the longest war in american hist: by now they should be able to handle their own country. otherwise, when do you leave? the same argument could be made 20 years from now. it's time to say enough is enough. we are going to continue to do that in an expedited fashion. bring them home 2013. the longer we stay there, the more of a risk our troops have and more chances there are for issues around national security. we see what's taking place now in afghanistan. >> uh-huh. >> so, you know, it's time to recognize that there is no military solution. i think the president and the administration recognizes that, but they have do this quicker than they have to do this in a way that makes sense, you know, much more quicker >> bill: i am glad your voice is out there for that.

2014 is too far off. too many lives and too many dollars on the line between now and then action congress woman. >> yeah we shouldn't have gone there. you remember that day, you know, i voted against that because i knew. let me tell you, it was a blank check to wage warp im perpetuity. so this war can go on, and i have a resolution that would say no more blank checks. let's get thisso this war can go on, and i have a resolution that would say no more blank checks. let's get this. we have to begin to come out of this state of perpetual war. >> if we followed the constitution that only depressed could declare war we would be a hell of a lot better off. but that's a whole another thing. >> thanks a lot, bill >> bill: merry christmas, happy holidays, barbara lee, a real leader on so many issues co-chair of the progressive caucus. when we come back, let's continue our conversation. i don't want to be too hard on

our guy here but i don't think this is a good deal. i don't think the president should have agreed to it. i am stunned that he did, that the first thing, the very first thing, the very first one, not at the end of the road when this is the dealing breaker, but the very first move was to put social security benefits on the table, to cut social security benefits. not necessary. wrong move, sends the wrong signal, is a show of weakness and i don't know whether we can get it back. why did he do this? 866-55-press. >> this is "the bill press show." >>only on current tv. dose of politics from a fresh perspective. >>i'm a slutty bob hope. the troops love me.

>>only on current tv.

>> this is "the full court press: the bill press show," live' on your radio and on current tv >> bill: all right now. twelve minutes before the top of the hour. in the next hour congressman peter welch, very critical of the president's decision to cut social security benefits. he will be here in studio with us and, also, in studio with us in the next hour, lee saunders president of apsmee. we will be back to your calls about this unwelcome compromise in my opinion. with the holidays upon us, now is the best time for you to visit tryancestry.com. join me in the fun journey of discovering your family's roots. talk about me. i was able to trace my family thanks to ancestry.com to salem new jersey and from salem new jersey, early in the 1800s all

the way over to rega in latvia. they immigrated here flu regia, russian jews and very exciting to talk about that with my family and as you get your family together with this holiday season, maybe you will have some things to discover. try ancestry.com. it's made it easy for you. they will give you two full weeks free to discover your family's history and if you will access to over 11 billion historical documents. you can get a special gift for that hard to shop person on your list with ancestry.com gift subscription. share my incredible experience. visit try ancestry.com today to see with two or weeks free. share your finds with your friends and family over the holidays, tryancestry.com. tryancestry.com. president obama said, democrats

have alternates said. we are the party that appropriatelies social security. now, president obama in the first stage of negotiations with john boehner. in fact, they are not evening having negotiations yet. he has already said, all right. we will throw social security and everybody on social security under the bus by cutting benefits. linda from reno nevada. hey, lippedndalinda. >> good morning. it's not just cutting benefits for pischeleople with social security. it's adding a tax to those children. those children are going to have to step up and help out those people who can't make it every day every month because they are getting less money than ever before. this is a stick your head up your butt and ignore the problem >> bill: we would have to

repeat 20ed 36, is it might be in trouble. it's not contributing to our deficit. why steal from social security? >> social security and medicare are not entitlements. next person who says that i am going to fly around and slap them so hard their teeth rattle. they are earned benefits. >> bill: earned benefits. absolutely, linda. i hear your passion. i share it. to say hello to jean from albuquerque, new mexico. these are the numbers. if you are making $1,100 a month, i checked out social securityworks.com. over the courts of 20 years you

get $28,600. >> that's how much you would be cut. >> by the chained cpi? >> yeah. >> bill: that's a lot of money. >> it's a lot of money. you know what? this is did be these are such hardship cuts. i think for the president to throw social security into a budget deal like this is despotism. i'm sorry. at least george bush when he wanted to privatize social security, he didn't try to weasel it through in a budget deal. i can't believe i am saying this about george bush but he opened a national dialogue and the nation rejected it. i don't think the president -- and by the way, nancy pelosi yesterday on andrea mitchell was saying she thought she had the votes for this. >> bill: i know. >> caller: i feel like i have been betrayed. >> bill: i do, too, jean. i think a lot of people feel

like they have been betrayed. >> that's why i asked barbara lee and she said nancy hasn't talked to her but john conyers said nancy has been twisting arms. she said this is a deal she could go along with. maybe raising the 250 to 400 is -- could go along with for democrats. not social security. i would hope every democrat would vote against this. en though obama our president. time magazine has announced their person of the year for 2012 is: president barack obama with a great big reelection win. time magazine's person of the year. good pick even though we don't like the social security compromise. >> this is "the bill press show."

i think the number one thing that viewers like about the young turks is that we're honest. they can question whether i'm right, but i think that the audience gets that this guy, to the best of his ability, is trying to look out for us. [ ♪ theme ♪ ]

shoes [ music ] >> this is "the bill press show." >> all right. so what's the man of the year doing today? celebrating. i don't know. pop the champagne corks. i don't know. he won the noble peace prize. time man of the year is nothing. have you seen man of the year before? person of the year. what am i saying? i am not sure. it's behind closed doors. he has national execute team and those appointments he is working on getting some flack over the possibility of chuck hagel being defense secretary. i think that's wrongly directed. i love chuck hagle. i think he would make a great defense secretary. the president be working on that and on the fiscal cliff the only item on his agenda is getting

the daily briefing with the vice president at 9:30 this morning and then this evening, they have a big reception at the whitehouse for the diplomat ilkic corps. i will get my butt down there and represent all of you. in the next hour, in studio with us, congressman peter welch from vermont and lee saunders from apsmee. >> this is "the bill press show."

[ music ] >> bill: my fellow americans, good to see you today. welcome to the "full-court

press" here on current tv. i am bill press with you for the next hour to review all of the big stories of the day and, of course, to hear from you, take your calls at 866-55-press. thanks for joining us this morning. man, lots to talk about, including how about this? the official investigation is over, and the report has been issued now which blames the state department of for systemic failures that led up to the assassination of ambassador chris stevens in benghazi. they blame the state department for not realizing how dangerous the country was and, also, for not providing enough security for our embassy in tripoli and our consulate in benghazi but notice they blamed the state department. they did not blame susan rice. are you listening, john mccain? are you listening, lindsey graham? that and a lot more but first, today's latest, today's current news update from lisa ferguson in los angeles. lisa, hi. good morning.

take it away. >> hey, bill. thank you. good morning, everyone. tennessee is considering arming its teachers now following the newtown shooting that killed 20 innocent school children. the republican controlled legislature says it will introduce a bill allowing the state to pay for secretly armed teachers. potential shooters will not know which classrooms have a gun and which do not. state senator grassley would require all schools to have an armed staff member and called gun control advocates naive. michigan will not allowed concealed carry in schools or churches. governor rick snyder vetoed that bill saying public institutions need the legal authority to ban weapons from their building if they choose. on both sides of the aisle opening up the gun control debate. speaker boehner is calling for a republican discussion on guns.

in a closed door meeting, he did placate conservatives saying he will not do anything major but it is time to depoliticize the gun issue. the nra is ending its silence planning to hold a major news conference on friday. later this morning, president obama will formally announce his new task force on reducing gun violence. that's led by vice president joe biden. more bill coming up after the break. stay with us. let's rock and roll. there is so much going on that every day presents another exciting issue. from financial regulation, iran getting a nuclear bomb, civil war in syria, fraud on wall street, destruction of medicare and medicaid. there are real issues here. having been a governor, i know that trade-offs are tough. things everyday exploding around the world that leave no shortage for exciting conversations. i want our viewer to understand why things have happened. at the end of the show, you know what has happened, why its

happened and more importantly, what's going to happen tomorrow.

[ ♪ theme ♪ ] >> announcer: broadcasting across the nation on your radio and on current tv, this is the "bill press show." >> this is the bill press show. >> bill: just announced,

breaking news, president obama at 11:45 this morning at the whitehouse is going to make an announcement about what steps the administration intends to take to deal with the issue of guns and how we are going to limit access to these weapons, military weapons that should not be on the streets ofmercial. president obama and the vice president will both be there in the briefing room at 11:45 this morning. good moraling, everybody. it's the full court press on current trademarkt t.v. your local progressive talk radio station the i will be there in the briefing room this morning morning. we will talk about guns. we will talk about fiscal cliff this hour and a whole lot more. good to have you with us. we are ready to take your calls at 866-55-press. >> that's our toll-free number. join us on facebook at facebook.com. i'm sorry facebook.com/bill press show and on twitter at bp

show. good to see you this morning. peter ogburn has the day off. but we have another man by the same name. a good friend of the program, congressman from vermont, peter welch? >> likewise. good to be here, bill >> bill: not a lot going on but a lot to talk. >> ain'ted nothing going on. we are just watching, you know, like watching paint dry but there is a lot going on between the speaker and the president. >> we will see whether all of it is good or not. our team peter ogburn has the week off with his family. dan henning is in charge this morning. >> dan: if i could do my producerly duties and ask the congressman to step a little closer to the mic phone. beautiful >> bill: cyplian boulding with the camera work this morning. wanted today point out on facebook and twitter by the way, weact radio, our local progressive affiliate here, great station in washington, d.c. celebrated its

first anniversary yesterday. i was there at a big party last night with david shuster, also from current tv and weact radio, congressman barney frank paid us a visit as well as congressman john conyers and on facebook and twitter, you will find the photo of david shuster, barney frank, mark levine and myself at that event last night. congressman it's hard to believe, and i refuse to have anything to do with it that some people are already talking about 2016. leader pelosi was on msnbc yesterday and no doubt about her favorite. >> wouldn't that be exciting? i hope she goes. why wouldn't she? she could be president of the united states and she would be great. if she decided to run action and i think she would win, she would go into the white house as well prepared or better prepared than almost anybody who has served in

that office in a very long time. i won't include washington jefferson, adams. but maybe. maybe. she would be great. >> bill: already, she is saying hillary would be a great a president as george washington. >> almost. that's right. there are a few little roadblocks. >> between now and then. >> a side run. everybody has been really impressed with hillary clinton, both -- >> >> bill: phenomenal career. >> the job she has done and just hanging in there, day-in and day-out getting the work done. she is a remarkable person just her durability. her steadfastness. >> i think she would make a great president. it's a long time between now and then. >> so much can happen. >> between now and then. you know, let's focus on the issues of the day here right? and and it may be we will talk about the mid-term. then we can get into 2016. >> showing great restraint,

bill. >> fiscal cliff and guns. i want to get your take on both of those, congressman, but first, dan's got some of the other big stories of the day. >> the full court press >> dan: i do. well, we've got actor been after flection aflec and now how about senator ben aflec. cps saying his name is floated around for the massachusetts senate seat that may open up. the actor is in d.c. today speaking to the house armed services committee on security issues in the congo. he did campaign for elizabeth warren in her senate campaign. no word if he is interested but other people are. >> bill: i think of more experienced and better qualified people to run for senate. >> probably not better movie makers. >> dan: true statement. insta gram users, terms of use were changed yesterday. a lot of people shut down their

accounts. the app says it can use your photos in any weigh it pleases, sharing with other sites or using it in advertising by holding inan account, it will grant them unlimited license to use your photos as of mid january. >> bill: the "new york times" says the point about people just dropping the app right away. you take photos of your family and share them with your friends. according to this, instagram. >> they belong to everybody. >> they could use them in ads. talk about a violation of privacy, seems to me. >> it's huge. huge. >> dan: finally, a name won big in the powerball lottery has announced what they will do were some of their $200 million payout. brian and mary lose are donating donating, saying they wanted the visitor's locker room painted pink. the school said why not? they are going to do that.

they made clear they did not want the stadium named after them. they just want to help build it >> bill: that's great. i hope they get a good financial advisor. you hear some stories about two and three years burn through everything and back where they started, you know. >> let's hope. they sound like pretty generous people. >> bill: congressman, let's start with this breaking news, white house reporting the president will deliver a statement in the brady press briefing room about the policy process the administration will pursue in the wake of the newtown tragsee. politico had reported earlier the president will announce creation of after task force to make recommendations about what steps might be taken, including legislation dealing with gun control. are we going to see anything done? >> i think we are. i think it is. >> what do you hear among your memories? >> people are just appalled obviously. everyone is. i mean these are children you know. >> bill: six year olds >> they are so beautiful and all

of the sudden, you see the image of these kids when the news reports were being given. what can you say? what can you say to these parents? there is a lot of heartache ahead for those families. it's going to be very traumatic. everyone knows that. also, there has been so many of these gun massacres, often using these large ammo clips and semi automatic weapons and when you saw somebody like senator joe mancion who is a real hunter. this guy is a pro-gun guy. >> he is a real deal. >> for good reasons. his family hunts together. they have responsible use of firearms. they like being out in the woods and getting to know nature. it's things folks care about. but he asked the question, why do you need 30 rounds when you are going hunting and you can only have 3, i think, when you are hunting in west virginia. so the fact that folks like joe

mancion who i think has more credibility on this in a responsible way than just about anyone is saying he is very open to legislation, the semi automatic weapons and large clips, i think something is going to be done in addition to the array of things the president can do through executive authority to try to get better information sharing so that we keep any weapons, really, out of the hands of criminals and mentally-ill folks who are going to potentially do more harm. >> the president, as i said from the white house and it's true that there has to be a broader approach, not just the guns. school safety, what we are doing about as you just mentioned, metals health, video games, you know, the whole broad spectrum. but you represent a state which i wouldn't say i certainly know well but i have the impression that the state is certainly known for being a progressive state and also -- >> pro-gun. >> gun friendly. >> we don't have any gun laws.

you can bring guns anywhere. >> the two can co-exist? >> thing. there is a distinction obviously between responsible gun use and this kind of violent activity. a lot of folks point out and it's true that people are the ones who pull the trigger. so it's not just the gun. it's the actor, but what you are seeing is this proliferation of violence where the weapon use is semi automatic rifle with these large-capacity clips. and the question that even pro-gun folks, pro--rated nra folks are asking is: do we really need that to have real confidence that we will have our second amendment rights expected. i think mancion is asking a reasonable question and it's creating space for folks like president obama and other democrats who are supportive of the second amendment, asking the question, are there some things

that really, it's time for us to do? >> bill: yesterday, monday was very frustrating for those of us in the briefing room because jay carney was very fuzzy about what the white house might support. he wouldn't be specific about anything. yesterday, he said specifically the if the would support renewal of the ban on assault weapons, closing the gun show loop hole and banning the high-capacity magazine clips which are good places to start. several of our callers this morning, congressman, have suggested a buy-back program after australia had after the port arthur massacre. for theme with that these and reward them for getting rid of them. there are common sense things we can do. >> there are. i think there is, i think, a feeling on the part of the americanpe public. it's not hard to imagine the heartache of these parents. none of us can be in their

shoes. but even from the distance, you just know that there but for the grace of god. >> sure. >> is your child. >> yeah. >> and it does demand some action. what do you say to these parents if we say business as usual? >> for real. i think that you are going to see some action on capitol hill. >> now, on another fronts, we have you point out there is no action except among the top players to avoid the fiscal cliff. you are quoted in "the new york times", we know the president yesterday said okay, john boehner, in the interest of making a deal, i will make a couple of changes. i will go up to $400,000. you get the first $400,000 basically a free ride, you continue the lower bush tax rate up to $400,000 and i will throw social security on the table and we will go to the chained cpi, which was reported this morning with being $112,000,000,000 in

cuts in social security benefits over the next 10 years. you're quoted as saying we opposed chained cpi. why? >> it is a cut in social security. there is two reasons. number 1 social security is not the reason that we have this debt crisis. >> bill: why should it be on the table. >> that's exactly the question many of us are asking. second, anything to do on social security to extend its stability and security like we want to have a 7-5 year solve emergency for social security. you could do that by raising the cap like to $175,000. that would raise about three times as much as the $112,000,000,000. if you did that, you would dedicate that savings to the solve emergency of social security. >> right. the two concerns subpoena social security is not part of the debt problem. if you are going to address social security, do it for its own sake. i think democrats would prefer

to use the cap and have it funneled back into social security and not use social security to essentially be one of the factors in the debt reduction plan. >> as a democrat and the democratic party has always stood for, we are going to protect social security. we are going to fight any cuts to social security benefits. now, you have at a time democratic president in opening move in these negotiations saying i am willing to cut social security benefits. i don't understand it. do you? >> well, here is the -- here is the thing. let's give the president some loottude here, my view because i oppose the chained cpi. he's got a tough negotiation with divided government. >> right. >> so he has followed through very -- in a very aggressive way on his campaign pledge to get substantial revenue on the table. >> bill: yes. >> it's like over-my-dead-body negotiating by speaker boehner.

>> bill: tot he has caved in from a million dollars up. >> that's true. we have to go more but i think the president has campaigned very expressively on the 250, top 2% paying the clinton rates. he's followed through on that and understands he has a strong hand and he is playing it but he has divided government. we have a house that over my dead body will raise taxes and they are demanding cuts. the president -- here is the real question for us is: how is he going to be effective on negotiating those cuts? we don't want a chained cpi. we would like to see him save more from the military because from everything we are seeing, the military is getting off light. >> that's where the money is. >> yeah. yeah. we know with structural reform in the military, by asking some of the barney frank/ron paul questions about what's our force structure necessary to protect us in these days wedged save

way more than what's being proposed on the table right now. we don't know the details yet. it's a tough negotiation divided government. i think in frankness, we have to give the president some latitude and not get too worried too soon. we will continue our conversation. want to follow up on that with congressman peter welch here representing the state, the entire state of vermont. right? >> yes. >> not just one district. you can follow him on twitter at reppeterwelch. your called welcome at 866-55-press, this wednesday december 19th. >> this is "the bill press show." museum dose of politics from a fresh perspective. >>i'm a slutty bob hope. the troops love me. >>only on current tv. [ music ]

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you know who's coming on to me now? you know the kind of guys who do like verse mortgage commercials? those types are coming on to me all the time now. >> she gets the comedians laughing... >> that's hilarious! >> ...and the thinkers thinking. >> okay, so there's wiggle-room in the ten commandments is what you're telling me. >> you would rather deal with ahmadinejad then me. >> absolutely! >> and so would mitt romeny. >> she's joy behar. >> and the best part is that current will let me say what the hell were they thinking? >> only on current tv. [ music ]

>> on your radio and on current tv, this is the bill press show. >> congressman peter welch in studio with us. lee saunders joins us in the next segment. congressman, i will ask you the same question i asked your colleague congresswoman barbara lee. if a package comes to you and it includes cuts to social security benefits, would you vote for it? >> i would have a hard time supporting anything that had anything to do with social security. but i am not going to draw a line in the sand now because a real question for us is how successful would the president be on the revenue side because that's going to make a huge difference in terms the pressure that exists after for further cuts in places like medicare and social security. >> you are open to seeing what the total package looks like? >> sure. >> yeah. >> you have to see what the

total package is in order to have a judgment on whether this is on balance a good thing. but what's pretty clear is the democrats are opposed, for instance, in medicare, to raising the eligibility age. we support the medicare program. social security is pretty insistent that that is not part of the bucket problem. is it is its own putt program. whatever changes to make sure it's solvent that should be solely for the benefit of the social security program. >> final question in with about 30 seconds. here we are, wednesday, thursday, friday, this week is christmas week. is there any blooming way we will get a deal before the end year. >> i thought no but my worry is

they may get us to a bad deal. speaker obtain will do plan b. i think b stands for bad. and he is trying to move things along, i guess. but if there is too much desire to keep the -- beat the fiscal cliff, we accept a deal. >> no deal is better than a bad deal. i know you agree. thank you for coming in today. happy holidays? >> thank you. >> this is "the bill press show." facility

>> heard around the country and seen on currentt this is "the bill press show" >> bill: you bet it is.

it's 33 minutes after the hour on this wednesday, december 19th. it is the full court press coming to you live from our nation's capitol and our studio here on capitol hill and brought to you today by afsmee the largest union in the entire country under president lee saunders. you want to find out more about their good work, go tots website, afscme.org or go to the man, himself president lee saunders of afsme. >> good to see you. happy holidays. >> happy holidays to you. thank you so much for coming in and for your long-time friendship and support. we have been dealing with a lot of issues this week, particularly guns. and the fiscal cliff last week the number one issue was what happened in mish with right to

work legislation so as events move and news moves, we have to focus on this war on labor unions across the country. it's really a war on working families. >> we have to be clear on that. it is a war on working families. these are the same strategies same tactics that the ultra conservatives tried to use prior to the election of november 6th. the american people spoke out loudly and clearly saying that they disagreed with those tactics but they are trying to do them now they have moving from washington, d.c. going into the state houses. >> that's why they were able to pass right to work in michigan where you would the bill yon airs, koch brothers, the head of amway pouring millions of dollars into that state talking to legislators, threatening ledge ledgelators saying they wanted it passed. there continues to be a war on working families. if you look at it, bill, all of the statistics that they use are just completely yongwrong. they say right to work for less laws create jobs.

they don't. they don't if you look at any study, they don't. right to work states six of the 10 states with the highest unemployment levels six are right to work states. >> really. >> six are right to work states. if you look at the right to work states, not only union families but non-union families earn $1,500 less. this is an attack, continues to be an attack on working families. we've just got to -- i said before that, you know, we won the election on november 6th. we had some major victories not only in washington, d.c. but across the country. we have got to stay in campaign mode and stay in campaign mode in states like michigan and ohio and wisconsin anywhere where working families are going to be under attack. >> you are they are going to let up? >> they are not letting up at all. >> i was going to ask you about this. these are some of the same people and some of the same tactics that we saw in wisconsin and then in ohio and now in michigan? >> there is no question.

i mean i am sure that as soon as that election was over on november 6th, they went into their back rooms and started strategizing about how they can continue the war on the middle class and war on working families. it's coming out. look what they did in michigan they didn't want to wait until january, when we had more friends they did it in a lame duck session to do it quickly. >> we don't want to wait for public hearings for anybody to say this is good or bad for michigan we will just ram it through. >> that's why it's important with stay in campaign mode because we are looking at legal challenges in michigan. >> what can you do? >> we are looking at legal challenges. we have our attorneys looking at how they did it. we are also looking at initiative in 2014 where we take it to the voters and let the voters in michigan decide. if you look at the polls, the governor right now, they are in the tank. i mean he is -- his numbers are

going down and the majority of michiganers believe it should not be a right to work state. we will do everything we can to organize not only our members but our communities across the state of michigan we will be prepared for you 2014 when they have elections and keep the pressure on. we are going to look at every avenue that we can to see if we can turn back that law. >> is it just labor, or is all labor united on this? i would assume. and is it just labor, or are there other -- are you going to -- important faxes of the commune community? >> it has to be more than labor. we have to have our allies and coalition partners not just a labor union fight. it is about the standard of living for working families and the attacks on wages and the attacks on benefits.

we coalesce around the collective bargaining unions but we brought in our coalition partners, civil rights community and women's organizations. too many cran governors? my view action they are out there, looking at this saying, hey, snyder looks like a big hero now or scott walker. >> maybe they should look at the poll numbers right now. >> last week they might have said. certainly other governors are considering this. >> not only are governors considering it, but they are going to feel the same kind of pressure that snyder felt by the

koch brothers, you have to look at ohio where you have the legislature is republican, the governor is republican. we will have to look at wisconsin and pensnsylvania. >> missouri? >> possibility of missouri. one of the good things that's happening, if you want to call it good. sometimes i guess i look at the glass is half full, not half empty. but all of labor, all of the unions within the afl-cio and the unions are meeting on a regular basis. we are coordinating activities plans and strategizing. and identifying where we need to put resources so we are on the same page. we are going to have a coordinated plan for 2013. just as important is we are working with those community organizations and those coalition partners so everyone is on the same page and we are dealing with the same book. >> bill: i remember when maybe you and i had this conversation when it was just wisconsin and

just scott walker, you know somebody said, it might have been rich trumka who said scott walker turned out to be the most effective labor organizers in the country because he brought everybody together in a common fight. if you look at how something like this could happen, have those of us in the labor movement failed to really educate people on how important unions are and what unions do for working families? >> i think that we can definitely improve upon that. i mean we need to educate the public about the importance of unions. if it wasn't for unions we wouldn't have a middle classes in this country. >> that's why you see with union membership declining especially in the private sector where only 6.9% of the work force is organized in the private sector and the public sector we still are about 35% organized. >> that's why they are coming after us now because they want to weaken us as they have weakened the private sector.

we have to have a private labor in this sector if we are just strong in the public and not the private, we don't have a strong labor sector. we have to look at the benefits derived from strong unions not only union members but non-union members. we increase the standard of living, wages, benefits which impact on all working families. and we grow the middle class. there is a strong union movement in this country 3. >> bill: the second way in which i sort of feel like president obama, whether he has done enough. guns? i feel a little guilty in whether i have done enough to keep the phone us. we talk a lot about the presidential race. we talked a lot about the senate races and how races and i don't think we covered -- i talked about one governor's race in the country. yet this shows these governors' races and state legislative

races are damn important? >> we never forget that. that's our neighborhood. >> that's where our members live. and those are our members communities. and we have got to pay just as much attention if not more to not only what happens here in washington, d.c. but laps in the state house andwe have players in the governor's race, in montana, in new hampshire, in a number of states in the state legislate temperatures where we were able to flip some in minnesota, flip it from both republican thousands democratic-controlled. now, we've got friends of working families in that state. we won a number of houses crosses the country in oregon and other states. we won some major initiatives. we consent traded where our members have been in our communities. >> you see how important that is. it's essential in the state legislate temperaturesure

legislatures. congress may be grid locked but they will ram through this kind of legislation. >> that's why we have to prepare for 2013. the state legislatures are going to be where the battles will be for our members next year, and we've gotten to be prepared and ready to go >> bill: already 2013? >> yeah >> bill: we have to gear up for that. no rest? >> we started gearing up for 2013 right after november 6th. >> bill: no rest for the weary. lee saunderstion president of afscme state after state after state for working families. if you have a question or a comment about your state or where this is all heading and how we head off these right to work laws, 866-55-press, the full court press on wednesday. we will be right back. >> chatting with you live at current.com/billpress, this is "the bill press show" live on your radio and current tv. [ music ]

>>bill shares his views, now it's your turn. >>i know you're going to want to weigh in on these issues. >>connect with "full court press with bill press" at facebook.com/billpressshow and on twitter at bpshow. >>i believe people are hungry for it.

jennifer > i want the people who watch our show to be able to come away armed with facts and the arguments to feel confident in their positions. i want them to have the data and i want them to have the passion. but it's also about telling them that you're put on this planet for something more! i want this show to have an impact beyond just informing. an impact that gets people to take action for themselves. as a human being that's really important. this is not just a spectator sport.

>> on your radio and on current tv this is "the bill press show." >> bill: thirteen minutes before the top of the hour on the "full-court press" this wednesday. thanks for being with us. we are pleased to have back in studio with us lee saunders who is the president of afscme. we are talking labor issues. lee, i want to get back into some of the other challenges facing us. we say hello from steve calling from detroit, michigan hello, steve >> caller: how are you fellows doing today? >> bill: great >> caller: real quick i am a teacher. it seems in the 2010 e legislation, the democrat party and the unions did nothing here

it shows. the turnout is bad here to get the message out that we have got to come out and vote. if we don't do a great job, it's going to be the same thing >> bill: your cell phone is breaking up. a comment, lee? >> in 2010, we dropped the ball in a number of areas across the country states. some of ourmez and some of the steam sisters in your stateteamsters in your state. some supported snyder. >> some were disillusioned in 2010 and stayed home. hello. >> but i think this is a wake-up call, and, you know, with the attacks with working families and unions are under since 2010, we're organizing and mobilizing and educating our members like never before in the state of

michigan and your state, you will be ready for 2014. we are organizing our community did right now. we are having meetings. not only in michigan but in washington, d.c. with the national unions and our community, coalition partners. i will we will be ready in 2014. they will not catch us again sleeping at the wheel >> bill: you have to say in 2012, the turn out -- >> was better >> bill: even though everybody said they didn't turn out in 2010. they are not on going to come out in 2012 >> we did a much better job. in michigan we will be ready in 2014 >> bill: secretary of labor hilda soliz was here last monday talking about the fact that we had 14078, 145, whatever it was thousand new jobs in november in the private sector, but jobs in the public sector because of cuts at the state and local level are still being hammered lee. aren't they? >> we are losing jobs.

as a matter of fact, when you lose your job, that hurts, hurts your family and community. also, your sacrificing e semicial public services in connecticut, a man who was mentally ill walked into a school and killed those children, six and seven years old. we rely and depend upon those first responders to do everything they can to bring order back to a very very bad situation. wirespectpresent the police and the

nurses, the dispatchers, 911 operators. every time there is a strat de, the people who step up to the plate first are the first responders. the people who provide and care about their communities. we have to get that word out because those public services are suffering because of the major cutbacks that have occurred across this country >> bill: the public servants that we depend on at the city level, the county level, the state level, and really value their work, identify you he all of this talk about bycrats and public employees. it must drive you crazy? >> you hear people say ber the privileged class. i mean that is -- i mean you know, our members and public service workers across this country care about that you are communi youk communities and jobs. they are in public service for a reason. they want to help and support. >> that's what at the do every single detail. >> yeah. >> and the wages, the average

wage of ourmez is only like $40,000 a year. when they retire after 25, 30, 3 five years of service, the average retirement benefit is 18 to $19,000 a year. >> that's not the privileged class. that represents workers who care about their communities who provided public services for a long, long time. they are not the privileged class. they are playing by the rules every single day and they should be treated with respect and dignity >> bill: amen. good to see you. we will keep up the fight in michigan and? >> we want to have you out there marching and walking around. >> bill: i am ready to walk the line. won't be the first time. happy holidays. lee saunders from president of afsme, afscme.org. thanks, lee. thanks for coming in? >> thanks for having me. >> i will be back with a quick final comment on today's "full-court press." >> heard around the country and seen on current tv this is "the

bill press show." [ music ] [ boy 1 ] hey! that's the last crescent. oh, did you want it? yea we'll split it. [ female announcer ] made fresh, so light buttery and flakey. that's half that's not half! guys, i have more! thanks mom [ female announcer ] pillsbury crescents. let the making begin the saying easy as pie? i get it now. just unroll it fill, top, bake, and present. that must have taken you forever! it was really tough. [ female announcer ] pillsbury pie crust. let the making begin

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[ ♪ theme ♪ ] [ music ] >> the parting shot with bill press, this is "the bill press show." >> bill: on this wednesday, december 19th, in the wake of the slaughter of innocent at the sandy hook elementary school it has been comforting to see so many politicians now willing to take on the nra and disagree with the nra about common sense, gun control measures. there are two good reasons why. the first is more and more clear that the nra is not what they pretend to be, just a grassroots organization representing, you

know, johnny six-shooter or your average hunter or sportsman. they have become nothing but a big lone for gun manufacturers, those companies that are making the guns that are killing our kids. 74% of nra members support a background check for guns even at gun shows. the nra officially opposes it. the second reason, it's more and more apparent, also, and more and more clear that politically, the nra is nothing but a paper tiger, opposition from the nra is nothing to be afraid of. this year, for example, according to media matters, the nra spent $11 million trying to defeat president obama. they lost. they spent over $100,000 in seven senate races. they lost six out of seven and two-thirds of house incumbents who were defeated this year in 2012 were actually endorsed by the nra. so clearly, as congressman john yarmouth told us yesterday on

""full-court press"" politicians no longer have to be afraid of standing up against the nra and for sensible gun control. my final comment for today folks. tomorrow's show, we'll be joined in studio by congresswoman rosa delaro and by senator john eudal. go out and have a great one. we will see you back here tomorrow morning. >> this is "the bill press show." deep. like me. [ male announcer ] head & shoulders deep clean for men. ♪ ♪